


blossoming smiles

by moonsprite



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sweet, Tea, soft and wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22165618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonsprite/pseuds/moonsprite
Summary: Professor Byleth discovers new comforts as she grows accustomed to the monastery, from gardening and tea to the steady presence of a particular Blue Lion.
Relationships: Dedue Molinaro/My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	blossoming smiles

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted some soft gardening/teatime fluff with Dedue so here you go! I do not own any part of Fire Emblem or its characters. Enjoy this wholesome boy :)

It was a gorgeous Saturday morning, with bright blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Byleth could not help but smile at the warmth of the sun seeping into her skin as she went about her regular walk around campus. Before she realized it, her footsteps eventually brought her to the glass-paned doors of the greenhouse. 

Laughing internally at her own predictability, Byleth gently pushed open the doors to be greeted by the now familiar sight of Dedue tending to the various plants that populated the building. It was always somehow soothing to see the broad-shouldered male working so diligently and gently to care for the beautiful flora. She would never admit it out loud, but working alongside Dedue in the greenhouse had become something she looked forward to every weekend.

“Here again, Professor?” Dedue looked up as he finished repotting a lily plant. “You must enjoy flowers very much.” Byleth smiled and admitted, “I do, but perhaps not as much as you do.” As she looked around, Dedue gestured over to a nearby patch of astral flowers. “That plot is yours today, they need some fresh fertilizer.” 

The blue and purple buds bobbed in the gentle breeze that filled the greenhouse as the head gardener left to pick up a new shipment of soil. Even though this had already happened several times before, Byleth still found herself unreasonably nervous as she knelt down besides Dedue to start her work. Then she noticed the small blue-handled shovel resting in the soil in front of the flowers. “Dedue, is this…?” Byleth barely started to form a question before he confirmed her suspicions. 

“You can’t work properly without the right tools,” Dedue stated matter-of-factly as he started watering a patch of newly sprouted tubers. Looking closely, Byleth noticed the awkward “B” carved into the bottom of the handle. Not sure what else to say, she responded, “Thank you, I will put it to good use.”

The rest of the morning was spent in a comfortable quiet, the chirping of the birds and humming of various insects around the plants a soothing background for the two. Just as the sunlight streaming through the greenhouse roof began to feel a little too warm, Byleth stood up and stretched her arms. Looking over at Dedue, she noticed that he had also come to a good stopping point as he patted down the soil around a fern plant.

“Would you like to join me for tea time after this?” Byleth asked, hopeful he would agree again. “It would be my pleasure.” Brushing some debris off his knees as he spoke, Dedue stood up and began packing away the gardening tools. Byleth handed him her shovel and swept the floor clean. In a matter of minutes, they were finished, and after bidding the head gardener a quick farewell, headed towards the center of the monastery. 

As Byleth went about her routine of changing her attire and picking out a tea sachet for the afternoon, she idly wondered if Dedue really enjoyed having teatime with her. Certainly, he had agreed to have tea with her for the past several weeks. But perhaps he felt obligated to because she was his professor, or he just wanted to figure out what kind of person she was and if she posed a threat. Many others in the monastery seemed to have that sentiment after all, even within the student body. Not that she could completely blame them, considering her mysterious history.

Byleth was shaken out of her musings as she arrived at the monastery garden with her tea set. Dedue was already waiting there, seated at their usual table by the flowering hedge. As they discussed the latest new blooms in the greenhouse and the beautiful reflections of the stained glass windows in the monastery, Byleth felt a sense of calm and comfort in the conversation. It was unusual how she had only known Dedue for a few months but his presence and steady voice never failed to ground her. She was growing accustomed to the oddly heartwarming sight of his large hands cradling the delicate china, and did not realize she had stopped talking until there was an awkward lull in the conversation.

“Does something amuse you?” Blinking at Dedue’s words, Byleth realized too late that she had just been staring at him and smiling for who knows how long. Feeling herself starting to blush from embarrassment, she silently berated herself for making him uncomfortable. “Sorry, I was just thinking how I enjoy our conversations.” 

This time, Dedue was the one to show a quiet smile. “You give me too much credit. I know I am not the most verbose, but it is a pleasure to converse with you.” 

After their tea was finished, the two parted ways amicably and Byleth left to attend to the remainder of tasks she had for the day. As Dedue headed to the training grounds for sparring practice, he crossed paths with Dimitri who had the same activity in mind. After they greeted each other, Dimitri chose to break their usual, comfortable silence. The blonde prince knew about Dedue’s morning routine at the greenhouse, but lately the serious-faced male had seemed more at peace, even during their sparring sessions.

“What has you in a good mood?” The innocent question seemed to catch Dedue off guard, and he turned to face Dimitri with some confusion. “What do you mean, your Highness?” Dimitri smiled at his long-time friend. It was interesting that he did not realize what he looked like, but Dedue had always paid more attention to others than himself. 

“You’ve got a gentle look on your face.” This gave Dedue some pause, and the two of them stood quietly in the warm afternoon sunlight that bathed the entrance to the training grounds before he quietly answered.

“Perhaps the professor’s tea has put me at ease.” Satisfied with his own conclusion, Dedue bowed before walking to the rack of wooden sparring swords in the back of the room. Dimitri watched him thoughtfully as the response took a few seconds to fully register, then barely managed to hold himself back from looking startled and asking more questions. That could wait for another time. It was a beautiful day, and Dedue deserved to be happy. Maybe he would have to find out what kind of tea the professor was sharing with his friend, and try some for himself.


End file.
